Run felt good today, I feel like my form has improve just by relaxing.

Also a brain wave.. wondering if my hip pain isn't coming from my hips, but my oblique/core muscles. I side stretched after my run and felt it at the point on the hip bone where I have trouble....... hmmmmm

Afternoon...from an overcast but warm Lisbon. A couple of light showers earlier

What:3k plus this a.m.
Why: trying to find a park to run in...but failed. Found it later: botanical gardens. .was locked when I ran.
Last hard: chasing daughter up a 100 steps or so after lunch. The hard bit wasn't the losing! Very hilly and all cobbles. Not easy for running. Lots of walking done.

Emz: Yea I have incorporated a lot of core work into my training to. It is such a mystery. Everyone I have seen can't really work out why it hurts so high up. I have sent a few emails to my orthopaedic mentors.... time to suck up the ego!

The weather here has been biblical - 24C with torrential rain (sitting in a stationary car was like being in a car wash), hail and now thunder and lightening. I did my first ever Insanity class at the gym - absolutely great, and this is from someone who doesn't do classes. Great functional strength and cardio workout, I'd recommend it to anyone. Finished off with 30 minutes on the treadie whilst waiting for Mark.

Miss A had trainers on; I had shoes. She is 30 odd years younger than me. She didn't have any alcohol with her lunch. Actually she is quick over a shortish distance as she shows on the hockey pitch. In that regard Miss A probably gets her genes from her mother; brains and beauty from me.

The Lanrick Challenge - loved it! 12K of fighting my way through muddy holes, deep rivers, forests and over 40 obstacles. Such good fun. It was just like the national XC but with wee added bits in there for a challenge! It certainly wasn't the 'ultimate test' they billed it as - I was beaming all the way!

The tagline of the event was 'Can you beat the Marines?'. I was given the opportunity as I started with 6 of them - they tore off at the start but my old head hung well back and took it steady. Even after the first 3/4 obstacles, I had gone past a couple of them and caught them all quite quickly, beating them by at least 20 minutes. So the answer to the tagline was 'Oh Yeah!'.

Although the course was good, the organisation of the event was shocking - they got their timings wrong I was in the timing tent trying to help them out. All groups were late starting - it needed chip timing and for £50 entry, it really should have been.

I might end up doing it again next year because I suspect I might have been the fastest today - results will probably be a while though.

Previously bookmarked threads are now visible in "Followed Threads". You can also manage notifications on these threads from the "Forum Settings" section of your profile settings page to prevent being sent an email when a reply is made.

Runner's World is a publication of Hearst Magazines UK which is the trading name of The National Magazine Company Ltd, 72 Broadwick Street, London, W1F 9EP. Registered in England 112955. All rights reserved. Runner's World, Part of the Hearst UK wellbeing network